Bird Flu Hits Seal Colonies Hard

Bird flu is wreaking havoc on Heard Island, where over 13,000 elephant seal pups—more than three-quarters of the population—have died from the H5 strain. Scientists, using drones, found the death toll still rising, with some colonies losing nearly all their pups. The virus, first spotted last year, has also infected penguins and fur seals, but elephant seals are hit hardest due to their dense, year-round breeding colonies. Experts fear the virus could spread to other sub-Antarctic islands like Macquarie, threatening entire ecosystems. Australia’s mainland remains virus-free, but the situation underscores how quickly wildlife diseases can spiral out of control. Support the show:Get a discount at https://solipillow.com/discount/dnn. Advertise on DNN:[email protected] This is an automated, high-level news summary based on public reporting.Report issues to [email protected]. View sources & latest updates:https://sources.thednn.ai/2f24770aa3953f6a